The invention relates to a method and means for excising an extended length of arteriosclerotic material from the lumen of an occluded artery.
The prior art known to me which is material as to the subject invention consists of U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,944,552 and 3,811,446. The former discloses an endarterectomy instrument where an annular cutting instrument is pushed along the interior of an occluded artery to excise arteriosclerotic material therefrom. The latter discloses apparatus for removing arteriosclerotic material from an artery comprising an oscillating loop which is used to stretch and loosen the adventitia layers from the media layer of the artery.